| If you're a business owner marketing your product or | | | | networking sites, such as Facebook and Myspace, |
| service via the Internet then you might already know | | | | also increased year-over-year from 240.8 million |
| two things: video and social networking tools are two | | | | streams in Oct. 2008 to 349.5 million in Oct. 2009, |
| increasingly popular types of media to use. According | | | | according to Nielsen. |
| to recent research, using these types of media | | | | Facebook, the most preferred social networking site to |
| together will increase your return on investment by | | | | view online videos, saw 217.8 million total video |
| driving traffic to your website and increasing your | | | | streams viewed during Oct. 2009. The site also had a |
| websites' conversion rate. With the average website | | | | tremendous growth from 34.9 million minutes that |
| conversion rate at only 2%, there's lots of room for | | | | consumers spent viewing videos on Facebook in Oct. |
| improvement. Using video and social media to market | | | | 2008 to 677 million minutes in Oct. 2009, according to |
| online is fast becoming a marketing staple for savvy | | | | the Nielsen report. |
| professionals who understand that the Internet is now | | | | "During the past year, online video viewing has become |
| the #1 "go-to" place for those in need of a service or | | | | central to the Web experience," said Jon Gibs, vice |
| product. Better online marketing techniques equals | | | | president of media analytics for Nielsen. "In conjunction |
| more business or revenue. | | | | with this increase, we are seeing remarkable growth in |
| Recent reports from the research firm The Nielsen | | | | video viewing on social networking sites, and it is only |
| Company offer some compelling statistics to support | | | | natural that these two trends would converge in |
| integrating online video and social media for a more | | | | consumers' minds, making sites like Facebook and |
| robust web marketing strategy. For example, Nielson | | | | increasingly important distribution points for both |
| reports that 72 percent of Internet users viewed | | | | consumer and professionally generated video." |
| videos online in 2009, amounting to about 144 million | | | | Gibs' thoughts are in line with what many marketers |
| people. | | | | area already thinking. According to a survey by the |
| "To marketers, this presents a huge - and largely | | | | Association of National Advertisers, 66 percent of |
| untapped - audience to reach," according to a Nielsen | | | | marketing professionals used social media last year, |
| report. | | | | compared to 20 percent in 2007. Following the trend, |
| Of course, viewing videos has never been easier now | | | | 50 percent of marketers used viral videos to |
| that most homes are connected to broadband or | | | | showcase products and businesses, up from just 25 |
| other types of high-speed Internet. And, the access to | | | | percent in 2007. |
| online videos is now easier in part to social networking | | | | The surveys present various numbers and |
| sites. | | | | percentages, but each of those figures is a testimony |
| Also according to Nielsen's research, time spent | | | | to the rising trend in online video and social media - a |
| viewing video on social networking sites increased 98 | | | | trend on which savvy marketers and business |
| percent from Oct. 2008 to Oct. 2009. | | | | professionals are capitalizing. |
| The number of online video streams viewed on social | | | | |